615
59%
$37,813
16.3%
America/Chicago
62812
The WikiXM 'West City' platform is your gateway to becoming an active part of our vibrant community, regardless of your age or how long you've called 'West City' home. It's more than just a news platform; it's a thriving hub where the collective wisdom of every 'West City' resident converges to ignite discussions, foster learning, and empower one another with knowledge about our beloved town.
Here in 'West City', we have a diverse tapestry of residents. Some have roots that run deep, their knowledge steeped in the rich history of our town. Others are students, dedicated to keeping us updated on school activities, while many are committed to sharing the ebb and flow of daily life.
What's more, from a civic and political perspective, there are countless opportunities for you to join in. Many in our community offer updates on policies and decisions, offering their unique insights. This platform is where all these local perspectives meld together, creating a better place for everyone to live, regardless of your age or how long you've been a part of 'West City'.
So, whether you're a long-time resident or a newcomer, young or old, WikiXM is your invitation to dive into the heart of our community, to engage, and help us all create a more vibrant, inclusive, and connected 'West City'. Join us and let's make a difference together!
West City, IL - History
We would like to provide the residents of West City a basic history overview.
Welcome to the West City Home page. The West City Home page provides as much information as possible on West City. Knowing West City’s history is essential to guiding its future. Within West City’s Home page, you will also find West City’s Founders, Holiday, and Birthday sections.
West City has a population of 615. 52.8% of West City’s inhabitants are Male, and 47.2 are female. 39.2% of West City is married and 59.2% own their own home. The Average Home price is $66,368, and the average rent is $661. Household median income in West City is $37,813, and the individual median income is $26,364. West City’s Ethnic is the following: White(98.2%), Multiple(1.3%), Hispanic(0.5%), Black(0.5%).
In the late 19th century, West City was a small settlement adjoining Benton on the west. In the early 20th century many immigrants from Poland, Lithuania, and England settled in the West City area to work in the numerous coal mines.On March 29, 1911, 33 citizens led by John Mulkey and represented by attorney Robert Hickman presented a petition to Judge Thomas J.
Layman of the Franklin County Court to incorporate West City as a village. At that time there were 350 inhabitants. An election was held on April 15, 1911, and six trustees were elected: Ed McIntire, J. J. Sanders, L. I. Tombly, Ben Fletcher, Marshall Moore, and Jack Adams. On June 1, 1911, Judge Layman declared West City to be duly and legally organized under the general laws of the State of Illinois as the Village of West City. When Congress passed the Volstead Act establishing national prohibition in 1919, West City became notorious for bootlegging and gambling.
The Birger and Shelton Brothers gangs vied for control of illegal activities in the area. In April 1923, 34-year-old Joseph A. Adams, a huge man of nearly 300 pounds (140 kg) and a roadhouse operator, was elected mayor of West City. Leslie Reed was elected City Clerk. John Lairsey served as Treasurer and R.
E. Neunlist was Village Attorney. The six elected trustees were Bruce Panchard, C. C. Gant, George Clinton, H. E. Stewart, W.R. Rogers, and R. N. Long. Mayor Adams aligned himself with the Shelton Brothers Gang, thus becoming the bitter enemy of Charlie Birger and his men. On December 12, 1926, two of Birger's men knocked on Adams' door and told his wife they had a message for him.
When Adams came to the door, they shot him in front of his wife Beulah and young daughter Arian. Sheriff Jim Pritchard gathered evidence and arrested Birger for the murder of Mayor Joe Adams. Birger was tried in Benton and found guilty of ordering the killing, a charge he steadfastly denied. Birger was hanged in Benton on April 19, 1928, at 9:48 a.m., in the last public hanging in Illinois.
A replica of the gallows was built in the 1990s by Birchard Wampler and his late son Birchard Neil Wampler. It stands today next to the old Franklin County Jail (now a museum). After the sensational downfall of the Birger gang and the repeal of the Volstead Act in 1933, West City earned much of its income from legitimate taverns and nightclubs.
During the 1940s and '50s this proved to be a very lucrative business. Despite West City's notorious reputation during the 1920s, churches were established by the residents. Prospect, later called First Baptist, was the only organized church in the corporate limits of West City until 1921. Later Trinity Baptist and Harmony Freewill Baptist were established.
Trinity Baptist is no longer in existence. At one time there were three schools in West City limits: Old Jordon, Washington School and New Jordon School, located on South Central Street across from the present West City Village Hall. On December 21, 1951, West City and all of Franklin County mourned 119 coal miners, who were killed in an underground explosion at C.W.
& F. Orient #2 coal mine in West Frankfort. In 1963, Interstate 57 split the village of West City down the middle from north to south. Preliminary work of buying homes and clearing the right of way began for the construction of Interstate 57 from Chicago to Cairo. Actual highway construction began in 1964, and its completion took nearly 10 years. With the advent of I-57, Rend Lake Plaza was initiated in 1978.
Wal-Mart and Big John's Supermarket were completed and in operation 1979. Many restaurants and various businesses soon followed, along with two big-city stoplights. In 1978 a new Village Hall was built and West City expanded their police department, street and water department and the volunteer fire department.
The West City, IL founder's page is dedicated to those people in the West City, IL area that initially made the West City, IL WikiXM news a reality. Without their initiative, foresight and social fortitude the West City, IL WikiXM news would not have happened. Like all those that have come before us, these founder saw what others... Read More
The West City, IL founder's page is dedicated to those people in the West City, IL area that initially made the West City, IL WikiXM news a reality. Without their initiative, foresight and social fortitude the West City, IL WikiXM news would not have happened. Like all those that have come before us, these founder saw what others couldn't - potential in a new way of doing an old medium - a new way of providing the news to the people around them.
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